Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses
Encyclopedia
Jehovah's Witnesses
are organized under a hierarchical arrangement their leadership calls a "theocratic government", under the belief that it is an extension of God's heavenly government on earth. Based in the Watch Tower Society
's Brooklyn, New York headquarters, the organization is headed by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses
, with members of the Body and nonvoting "helpers" organized into six committees responsible for various administrative functions within the global Witness community, including publication, assembly programs and evangelizing activity.
The Governing Body and its committees supervise operations of thirty zones, comprising over one hundred branch offices worldwide. Each branch office oversees activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in a particular country or region, and may include facilities for the publication and distribution of Watch Tower Society literature. Directly appointed by the Governing Body, branch committees make local appointments and perform other administrative functions for congregations, which are organized within circuits and districts. The Governing Body directly appoints traveling overseers as its representatives to supervise activities at various levels—circuit overseers visit circuits of about twenty congregations; district overseers work with the circuit overseers of a number of adjoining circuits; zone overseers visit groups of branch offices in a particular zone and report back to the Governing Body.
Each congregation is served by a group of locally recommended, branch-appointed male elders and ministerial servants (their term for "deacons"). Elders take responsibility for congregational governance, pastoral work, setting meeting times, selecting speakers and conducting meetings, directing the public preaching work, and creating judicial committees to investigate and decide disciplinary action for cases that are seen as breaching scriptural laws. Ministerial servants fulfill clerical and attendant duties, but may also teach and conduct meetings.
, based in the Watchtower Society's Brooklyn, New York headquarters—an all-male group that varies in size, but since December 2010 has comprised seven members, each of whom claims to be of the "anointed" class with a hope of heavenly life (whereas most Jehovah's Witnesses hope to be resurrected in an earthly paradise). There are no elections for membership; new members are selected by the existing body. Each of its members serves as chairman, with the position rotating among members alphabetically each year. The Governing Body is described as the "representative" of God's "faithful and discreet slave
class" (approximately 11,000 Jehovah's Witnesses who profess to be "anointed"), and is said to provide "spiritual food" for Witnesses worldwide on behalf of the "faithful and discreet slave class". In practice it seeks neither advice nor approval from other "anointed" Witnesses when formulating policies and doctrines, or when producing material for publications and conventions.
From 1944, Watch Tower publications had made occasional references to a governing body, identifying it with the board of directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
. In October 1971, four additional men joined the seven members of the Society's board of directors on what became known as a separate, expanded Governing Body. The Governing Body was then for the first time formally defined, indicating that it provided the religion with direction, guidance and regulation, although all doctrinal and publishing decisions continued to be made by, or were subject to, the approval of the Society's president. Organizational changes at the highest levels of the Watchtower Society in 1976 significantly increased the powers and authority of the Governing Body and reduced those of the Watch Tower Society president.
The Governing Body directs six committees made up of its members and other "helpers"; the six committees are responsible for various administrative functions within the Witness community, including personnel, publishing, evangelizing activity, school and assembly programs, writing, and coordination. The full Body directly appoints all zone, district and circuit overseers, collectively referred to as "traveling overseers", and also appoints branch office committee members. Only branch committeemen and traveling overseers are referred to as "representatives of the Governing Body".
In the last decade, the Governing Body has reiterated its overall oversight role but has delegated other Witnesses, typically branch committee members, to serve as corporate executives and directors of Watch Tower and other incorporated entities.
. The United States branch office, spread across three New York State locations with a staff of more than 5000, also serves as the international headquarters.
Branch offices, operated by Witness volunteers known as Bethel families, produce and distribute Bible-based literature and communicate with congregations within their jurisdiction. Full-time staff at branch offices take a vow of poverty and are considered members of a religious order. Each branch is overseen by a committee of three or more elders, which is appointed by the Governing Body. A Service Department in each branch corresponds with congregations and supervises the work of traveling overseers. Branch offices may also have printing, translation, legal and Hospital Information Services departments.
Each branch office appoints various committees in its jurisdiction's communities, with local elders as members. Committees may include:
The majority of traveling overseers are circuit overseers; they oversee circuits of about twenty congregations, performing twice-yearly week-long visits with each. During his visit, the circuit overseer delivers talks to the congregation and meets with the elders, ministerial servants and pioneers. He typically works with various members of the congregation in the house-to-house preaching work, and may also conduct personal Bible studies and pastoral calls. District overseers are appointed to oversee a number of circuits; his responsibilities include spending a week with the circuit overseer of each circuit, and teaching students of the Watch Tower Society's Bible School for Single Brothers. District overseers have a large role in planning and presenting circuit assemblies. A district overseer may also care for a small circuit, and a circuit overseer may occasionally serve as a district overseer.
Jehovah's Witnesses are instructed to "participate in a joyful interchange of encouragement" with traveling overseers, and to render them "double honor", a biblical term they believe includes cooperation and hospitality. Traveling overseers are generally members of a religious order who have taken a vow of poverty; they are provided with vehicles, healthcare, and lodging, and their expenses are reimbursed by the branch office. Congregations are encouraged to contribute to a specific fund for that purpose.
s, which may be shared by two or more congregations. If a small group of Witnesses is isolated by geography or language, it may have some or all of its meetings at a different time and place to the rest of the congregation, under the supervision of that congregation's body of elders. Branch offices record and recognize geographically isolated and foreign-language groups. If a group intends to become a new congregation, the area's circuit overseer submits an application to the branch office.
Each congregation is assigned a territory; members are requested to attend the congregation of the territory in which they reside. Members also meet in smaller "field service groups", often at private homes, prior to engaging in organized door-to-door preaching. Each field service group has an appointed "group overseer" (an elder) or "group servant" (a ministerial servant). Witnesses are instructed to devote as much time as possible to preaching activities
("witnessing" or "field service"), and to provide a monthly report to their congregation summarizing their preaching activity. Jehovah's Witnesses consider all baptized Witnesses to be ministers. Participants in organized preaching activity are referred to as publishers. The Watchtower Society only counts as members those who are approved and active as publishers.
Congregations are governed by local elders, who are assisted by ministerial servants. Elders and ministerial servants are appointed in each congregation for handling various religious and administrative duties. Only male members may serve in the capacity of elder or ministerial servant. In smaller congregations, one man may handle multiple positions until another qualified candidate is available. Baptized female members may perform some of their duties only if a baptized male is unavailable; female Witnesses leading in prayer or teaching are required to wear a head covering.
, who are responsible for teaching the congregation. Elders maintain general responsibility for congregational governance, pastoral work, selecting speakers and conducting meetings, directing the public preaching work and creating "judicial committees" to investigate and decide disciplinary action
for cases that are seen as breaching scriptural laws.
There are no secular educational requirements for Witness elders. Elders are considered "overseers" based on the biblical Greek term, ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos). Prospective elders are recommended from among ministerial servants and former elders by the local elder body for appointment by the branch; branch offices also approve appointments to local Congregation Service Committees. Service Committee roles include:
Additional roles within the body of elders include:
s, are appointed to assist the elders with routine work, including the supply of literature to the congregation, accounts, maintaining the Kingdom Hall, and operating audio equipment. They also present various parts at the meetings. Ministerial servants are appointed in a similar manner to elders.
The following roles are normally filled by ministerial servants:
. Prior to baptism, they are required to respond to a series of questions to assess their suitability, and to make a personal dedication to serve God. Baptisms are typically performed at assemblies and conventions, but an individual baptism may be arranged by a local congregation under certain circumstances. From the moment of baptism, the person is officially considered to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and an ordained minister.
Regular publisher do not have a specific quota of hours for preaching each month, although publishers are requested to "set goals such as reaching [the] national average of hours for publishers". Publishers are typically each required to report at least one hour per month to be counted as a 'regular publisher'. Only whole hours are reported; incomplete hours are carried over to the next month. Elders may allow certain publishers to count fifteen-minute increments if special circumstances limit them, such as advancing age or limiting health. Publishers who fail to report for one month are termed "irregular"; those who do not report for six consecutive months are classed as "inactive". The terms irregular and inactive are used to indicate members in need of 'spiritual assistance' from the local congregation elders. Yearly reports of congregation activity are compiled and published annually in a Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. Those habitually 'irregular' or 'inactive' are usually restricted from serving in any special capacity.
Baptized publishers in 'good standing' may serve in various special preaching capacities:
Their congregation handbook states that a person hoping to qualify as an unbaptized publisher should already be "an active associate of Jehovah's Witnesses", that is, he or she should regularly attend congregation meetings.
Prior to 1988, unbaptized publishers were referred to as "approved associate", "unbaptized associates" or "regularly associating". The terms were discontinued due to the view that mere meeting attendance constitutes neither approval of nor commitment to the faith.
Students usually have their study with the same Witness for the duration of the study program, often being the member who first encounters them while preaching. Interested individuals initially contacted by a member of the opposite sex are typically assigned a study conductor of their own gender. A student typically meets with their study conductor once each week at the student's home or other suitable location. The study program involves consideration of a Bible-based publication that addresses Jehovah's Witnesses' core beliefs. Each paragraph is read aloud by the conductor or student, and the student answers pre-printed questions from the material in the paragraph. Students are encouraged to look up cited scriptures in the Bible and include them in their responses. Each Bible study is typically conducted with an individual or family, though in some cases many people may take part.
Students are invited to attend and even comment at congregation meetings. If they attend meetings regularly and are considered to demonstrate progress toward becoming an unbaptized publisher, they may receive a copy of the monthly newsletter Our Kingdom Ministry, and may also qualify to join the congregation's Theocratic Ministry School. Students may also attend reading-improvement or literacy classes in congregations where these additional courses are held.
Unbaptized individuals who attend meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses are not subject to congregation discipline, though elders may privately warn members of the congregation about individuals considered to constitute "an unusual threat to the flock."
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
are organized under a hierarchical arrangement their leadership calls a "theocratic government", under the belief that it is an extension of God's heavenly government on earth. Based in the Watch Tower Society
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania is a non-stock, not-for-profit organization headquartered in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, United States. It is the main legal entity used worldwide by Jehovah's Witnesses to direct, administer and develop doctrines for the religion...
's Brooklyn, New York headquarters, the organization is headed by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses
Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses
The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is the ruling council of Jehovah's Witnesses based in Brooklyn, New York. The body assumes responsibility for formulating policy and doctrines, producing material for publications and conventions, and administering its worldwide branch office staff...
, with members of the Body and nonvoting "helpers" organized into six committees responsible for various administrative functions within the global Witness community, including publication, assembly programs and evangelizing activity.
The Governing Body and its committees supervise operations of thirty zones, comprising over one hundred branch offices worldwide. Each branch office oversees activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in a particular country or region, and may include facilities for the publication and distribution of Watch Tower Society literature. Directly appointed by the Governing Body, branch committees make local appointments and perform other administrative functions for congregations, which are organized within circuits and districts. The Governing Body directly appoints traveling overseers as its representatives to supervise activities at various levels—circuit overseers visit circuits of about twenty congregations; district overseers work with the circuit overseers of a number of adjoining circuits; zone overseers visit groups of branch offices in a particular zone and report back to the Governing Body.
Each congregation is served by a group of locally recommended, branch-appointed male elders and ministerial servants (their term for "deacons"). Elders take responsibility for congregational governance, pastoral work, setting meeting times, selecting speakers and conducting meetings, directing the public preaching work, and creating judicial committees to investigate and decide disciplinary action for cases that are seen as breaching scriptural laws. Ministerial servants fulfill clerical and attendant duties, but may also teach and conduct meetings.
Governing Body
The organization is directed by the Governing BodyGoverning Body of Jehovah's Witnesses
The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is the ruling council of Jehovah's Witnesses based in Brooklyn, New York. The body assumes responsibility for formulating policy and doctrines, producing material for publications and conventions, and administering its worldwide branch office staff...
, based in the Watchtower Society's Brooklyn, New York headquarters—an all-male group that varies in size, but since December 2010 has comprised seven members, each of whom claims to be of the "anointed" class with a hope of heavenly life (whereas most Jehovah's Witnesses hope to be resurrected in an earthly paradise). There are no elections for membership; new members are selected by the existing body. Each of its members serves as chairman, with the position rotating among members alphabetically each year. The Governing Body is described as the "representative" of God's "faithful and discreet slave
Faithful and Discreet Slave
The faithful and discreet slave is the term used by Jehovah's Witnesses to describe the collective body of "anointed" Christians alive on earth who expect to ascend to heaven at death. Approximately 11,000 Jehovah's Witnesses profess to be members of this "remnant" of the 144,000...
class" (approximately 11,000 Jehovah's Witnesses who profess to be "anointed"), and is said to provide "spiritual food" for Witnesses worldwide on behalf of the "faithful and discreet slave class". In practice it seeks neither advice nor approval from other "anointed" Witnesses when formulating policies and doctrines, or when producing material for publications and conventions.
From 1944, Watch Tower publications had made occasional references to a governing body, identifying it with the board of directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania is a non-stock, not-for-profit organization headquartered in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, United States. It is the main legal entity used worldwide by Jehovah's Witnesses to direct, administer and develop doctrines for the religion...
. In October 1971, four additional men joined the seven members of the Society's board of directors on what became known as a separate, expanded Governing Body. The Governing Body was then for the first time formally defined, indicating that it provided the religion with direction, guidance and regulation, although all doctrinal and publishing decisions continued to be made by, or were subject to, the approval of the Society's president. Organizational changes at the highest levels of the Watchtower Society in 1976 significantly increased the powers and authority of the Governing Body and reduced those of the Watch Tower Society president.
The Governing Body directs six committees made up of its members and other "helpers"; the six committees are responsible for various administrative functions within the Witness community, including personnel, publishing, evangelizing activity, school and assembly programs, writing, and coordination. The full Body directly appoints all zone, district and circuit overseers, collectively referred to as "traveling overseers", and also appoints branch office committee members. Only branch committeemen and traveling overseers are referred to as "representatives of the Governing Body".
In the last decade, the Governing Body has reiterated its overall oversight role but has delegated other Witnesses, typically branch committee members, to serve as corporate executives and directors of Watch Tower and other incorporated entities.
Branch offices
Jehovah's Witnesses operate 115 branch offices worldwide, grouped into thirty global "zones", each under the oversight of a zone overseer who visits each of his assigned branches every few years, auditing operations, counseling branch committeemen, department heads, and missionaries, and reporting back to the Governing Body. Each branch office is referred to as BethelBethel
Bethel was a border city described in the Hebrew Bible as being located between Benjamin and Ephraim...
. The United States branch office, spread across three New York State locations with a staff of more than 5000, also serves as the international headquarters.
Branch offices, operated by Witness volunteers known as Bethel families, produce and distribute Bible-based literature and communicate with congregations within their jurisdiction. Full-time staff at branch offices take a vow of poverty and are considered members of a religious order. Each branch is overseen by a committee of three or more elders, which is appointed by the Governing Body. A Service Department in each branch corresponds with congregations and supervises the work of traveling overseers. Branch offices may also have printing, translation, legal and Hospital Information Services departments.
Each branch office appoints various committees in its jurisdiction's communities, with local elders as members. Committees may include:
- Hospital Liaison Committee
- Patient Visitation Group
- Regional Building Committee
- Assembly Hall Committee
- District Convention Committee
- Disaster Relief Committee
Traveling overseers
Jehovah's Witnesses use the term traveling overseer to refer to either a zone, circuit or district overseer. All overseers are elders; zone, district and circuit overseers are directly appointed by the Governing Body. A branch may appoint any local elder as a "temporary" or "substitute" circuit overseer; circuit overseers typically perform such substitute assignments for several years before receiving a regular appointment. Additional training is provided at their School for Traveling Overseers, and ongoing pastoral care is provided to them by typically elderly former traveling overseers. In 1995, Witnesses reported that 4374 district and circuit overseers cared for 78,620 congregations, an average of about 18 congregations each.The majority of traveling overseers are circuit overseers; they oversee circuits of about twenty congregations, performing twice-yearly week-long visits with each. During his visit, the circuit overseer delivers talks to the congregation and meets with the elders, ministerial servants and pioneers. He typically works with various members of the congregation in the house-to-house preaching work, and may also conduct personal Bible studies and pastoral calls. District overseers are appointed to oversee a number of circuits; his responsibilities include spending a week with the circuit overseer of each circuit, and teaching students of the Watch Tower Society's Bible School for Single Brothers. District overseers have a large role in planning and presenting circuit assemblies. A district overseer may also care for a small circuit, and a circuit overseer may occasionally serve as a district overseer.
Jehovah's Witnesses are instructed to "participate in a joyful interchange of encouragement" with traveling overseers, and to render them "double honor", a biblical term they believe includes cooperation and hospitality. Traveling overseers are generally members of a religious order who have taken a vow of poverty; they are provided with vehicles, healthcare, and lodging, and their expenses are reimbursed by the branch office. Congregations are encouraged to contribute to a specific fund for that purpose.
Congregations
Congregations are usually based on geographical area or language spoken, and may have as few as ten or as many as two hundred members. In cities with more than one congregation, a city overseer may be appointed by the branch to take care of issues that affect congregations citywide; his responsibilities are limited, as the branch office usually deals directly with each congregation. Congregations meet for religious services at Kingdom HallKingdom Hall
A Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Hawaii...
s, which may be shared by two or more congregations. If a small group of Witnesses is isolated by geography or language, it may have some or all of its meetings at a different time and place to the rest of the congregation, under the supervision of that congregation's body of elders. Branch offices record and recognize geographically isolated and foreign-language groups. If a group intends to become a new congregation, the area's circuit overseer submits an application to the branch office.
Each congregation is assigned a territory; members are requested to attend the congregation of the territory in which they reside. Members also meet in smaller "field service groups", often at private homes, prior to engaging in organized door-to-door preaching. Each field service group has an appointed "group overseer" (an elder) or "group servant" (a ministerial servant). Witnesses are instructed to devote as much time as possible to preaching activities
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
("witnessing" or "field service"), and to provide a monthly report to their congregation summarizing their preaching activity. Jehovah's Witnesses consider all baptized Witnesses to be ministers. Participants in organized preaching activity are referred to as publishers. The Watchtower Society only counts as members those who are approved and active as publishers.
Congregations are governed by local elders, who are assisted by ministerial servants. Elders and ministerial servants are appointed in each congregation for handling various religious and administrative duties. Only male members may serve in the capacity of elder or ministerial servant. In smaller congregations, one man may handle multiple positions until another qualified candidate is available. Baptized female members may perform some of their duties only if a baptized male is unavailable; female Witnesses leading in prayer or teaching are required to wear a head covering.
Elders
Each congregation has a body of eldersElder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
, who are responsible for teaching the congregation. Elders maintain general responsibility for congregational governance, pastoral work, selecting speakers and conducting meetings, directing the public preaching work and creating "judicial committees" to investigate and decide disciplinary action
Jehovah's Witnesses and congregational discipline
Jehovah's Witnesses employ various levels of congregational discipline as formal controls administered by congregation elders. Guilt and repentance are determined by a tribunal of elders, and hearings concerning what they term "serious sin" are performed by formal judicial committees...
for cases that are seen as breaching scriptural laws.
There are no secular educational requirements for Witness elders. Elders are considered "overseers" based on the biblical Greek term, ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos). Prospective elders are recommended from among ministerial servants and former elders by the local elder body for appointment by the branch; branch offices also approve appointments to local Congregation Service Committees. Service Committee roles include:
- Coordinator of the Body of Elders: (previously known as the Presiding Overseer) chairs elders’ meetings, prepares the Service Meeting, assigns a conductor for the Congregation Bible Study, and oversees financial matters.
- Service Overseer: organizes matters related to public preaching, and oversees those handling literature, magazines, and territories.
- Congregation Secretary: maintains congregation records, reports congregation activity to the branch headquarters, advises the congregation about conventions and assemblies, and oversees those handling accounts.
Additional roles within the body of elders include:
- Watchtower Study Conductor: leads the weekly Watchtower study.
- Theocratic Ministry School Overseer: conducts the Theocratic Ministry School, assigns student assignments, counsels students with a goal to improving their preaching skills, and conducts bi-monthly question-and-answer reviews.
- Auxiliary Counselor: responsible for providing private counsel, as needed, to elders or ministerial servants that handle meeting parts.
- Operating Committee Members: responsible for the care of the building and property of Kingdom Halls that are shared by two or more congregations.
- Group Overseers: oversee groups for public preaching and pastoral carePastoral carePastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...
. - Public Talk Coordinator: schedules speakers and talks for the public meetings and co-ordinates traveling speakers from his congregation.
- Literature Coordinator: responsible for inventory, ordering, and distribution of literature for Kingdom Halls that are shared by two or more congregations.
Ministerial servants
Ministerial servants, equivalent to deaconDeacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s, are appointed to assist the elders with routine work, including the supply of literature to the congregation, accounts, maintaining the Kingdom Hall, and operating audio equipment. They also present various parts at the meetings. Ministerial servants are appointed in a similar manner to elders.
The following roles are normally filled by ministerial servants:
- Accounts Servant: collects donations from contribution boxes after each meeting, deposits moneys, pays bills.
- Sound Servant: coordinates and schedules others to run microphones, handle the stage and podium and operate audio equipment; in large congregations, a separate Platform Servant may also be assigned.
- Literature Servant: distributes literature in stock, takes requests for special items, or yearly items for use by congregation members. May place special request orders for publishers in their own Kingdom Hall.
- Literature Coordinator: orders and receives stock and bulk literature for multiple congregations meeting at a single Kingdom Hall.
- Magazine Servant: distributes non-public magazines to members of the congregation.
- Magazine Coordinator: orders and receives all public magazines for congregations meeting at a single Kingdom Hall, and stocks them in a designated magazine pickup area.
- Territory Servant: distributes territory for preaching and keeps records of all territories within the local congregation's area.
- Attendant Servant: greets visitors, seats latecomers, takes attendance count, and is responsible for climate control of the Kingdom Hall and parking lot security.
- Theocratic Ministry School Assistant: distributes assignments to Ministry School students, times student talks; may make reminder phone calls to students with upcoming talks and conduct auxiliary schools.
- Group Servant: assumes role of Group Overseer when a sufficient number of elders is not available, under supervision of the body of elders.
Baptized publishers
Baptized publishers are members who have been publicly baptizedBaptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
. Prior to baptism, they are required to respond to a series of questions to assess their suitability, and to make a personal dedication to serve God. Baptisms are typically performed at assemblies and conventions, but an individual baptism may be arranged by a local congregation under certain circumstances. From the moment of baptism, the person is officially considered to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and an ordained minister.
Regular publisher do not have a specific quota of hours for preaching each month, although publishers are requested to "set goals such as reaching [the] national average of hours for publishers". Publishers are typically each required to report at least one hour per month to be counted as a 'regular publisher'. Only whole hours are reported; incomplete hours are carried over to the next month. Elders may allow certain publishers to count fifteen-minute increments if special circumstances limit them, such as advancing age or limiting health. Publishers who fail to report for one month are termed "irregular"; those who do not report for six consecutive months are classed as "inactive". The terms irregular and inactive are used to indicate members in need of 'spiritual assistance' from the local congregation elders. Yearly reports of congregation activity are compiled and published annually in a Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. Those habitually 'irregular' or 'inactive' are usually restricted from serving in any special capacity.
Baptized publishers in 'good standing' may serve in various special preaching capacities:
- : make a commitment of fifty hours of preaching activities for a given month. This can be performed on a per month or ongoing basis.
- : make a commitment of an average of seventy hours of preaching activity each month, totaling 840 hours for the year. For congregation elders to recommend appointment of a regular pioneer, a publisher must be baptized for at least six months and be considered an exemplary member of the congregation. Members who have been reproved or reinstated in the last year may not serve as regular pioneers.
- : assigned by a branch to perform special activity, such as preaching in remote areas, which may require at least 130 hours per month. Special pioneers receive a stipend for basic living expenses.
- : sent to foreign countries to preach. They spend at least 130 hours per month in preaching. Before assignment to a location, missionaries may receive training at Gilead SchoolGilead schoolWatchtower Bible School of Gilead is the formal name of the missionary school of Jehovah's Witnesses, typically referred to simply as Gilead or Gilead School...
. Missionaries receive a stipend for basic living expenses.
Children
When accompanied by adults, children of baptized Witnesses may participate in organized preaching without formally qualifying. However, only children who are approved as unbaptized publishers are counted in the religion's official membership statistics. Children of Witness parents may be asked to participate in demonstrations at congregation meetings and assemblies, or as models and actors in materials published by the Watch Tower Society.Unbaptized publishers
Unbaptized publishers are persons who are not yet baptized, but who have requested and been granted approval to join in the congregation's formal ministry. They must demonstrate a basic knowledge of Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrines to the elders, state their desire to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and conform to the organization's moral standards.Their congregation handbook states that a person hoping to qualify as an unbaptized publisher should already be "an active associate of Jehovah's Witnesses", that is, he or she should regularly attend congregation meetings.
Prior to 1988, unbaptized publishers were referred to as "approved associate", "unbaptized associates" or "regularly associating". The terms were discontinued due to the view that mere meeting attendance constitutes neither approval of nor commitment to the faith.
Students
The term Bible student, sometimes informally referred to as a "Bible study", is generally used by Witnesses to refer to an individual who takes part in their religious study program (though all witnesses consider themselves to be students of the Bible). The purpose of the Bible study program is for the student to become baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.Students usually have their study with the same Witness for the duration of the study program, often being the member who first encounters them while preaching. Interested individuals initially contacted by a member of the opposite sex are typically assigned a study conductor of their own gender. A student typically meets with their study conductor once each week at the student's home or other suitable location. The study program involves consideration of a Bible-based publication that addresses Jehovah's Witnesses' core beliefs. Each paragraph is read aloud by the conductor or student, and the student answers pre-printed questions from the material in the paragraph. Students are encouraged to look up cited scriptures in the Bible and include them in their responses. Each Bible study is typically conducted with an individual or family, though in some cases many people may take part.
Students are invited to attend and even comment at congregation meetings. If they attend meetings regularly and are considered to demonstrate progress toward becoming an unbaptized publisher, they may receive a copy of the monthly newsletter Our Kingdom Ministry, and may also qualify to join the congregation's Theocratic Ministry School. Students may also attend reading-improvement or literacy classes in congregations where these additional courses are held.
Associates
Individuals who attend meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses but are not involved in preaching are occasionally referred to in Watch Tower Society publications as "associates" or as being "associated with the congregation". Attendance figures for Witness events include "Jehovah's Witnesses and associates"; such statistics are often cited for comparison of Witness numbers with membership figures of other religions.Unbaptized individuals who attend meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses are not subject to congregation discipline, though elders may privately warn members of the congregation about individuals considered to constitute "an unusual threat to the flock."